Future First is an education charity working to close the career achievement gap between those born into low-income and high-income homes and, in doing so, contribute to improving social mobility.

Future First’s vision is that every school should be supported by a thriving, engaged alumni community who can support our academy and our students.

Future First believe in the power of alumni as relatable role models to inspire, motivate and raise the aspirations of young people. Research has shown that 90% of young people want to hear from ‘people like them’ in the jobs they’d like to do - particularly those who went to their old school or college.

They currently work with over 400 schools and colleges across the UK helping them to reconnect and engage their former students.

What does Future First do?

Future First provides the staff support, knowledge and a technology platform to easily communicate and engage with our alumni.

Future First helps Westbourne Academy to keep in touch with its leavers from the moment they leave and helps to track their progress and destinations from day one, meaning our leavers remain part of the academy community.

They also help us to re-connect with former students who have left over the years. This includes people now in a diverse range of careers, apprenticeships or higher education who have gained the skills and knowledge to help our current students.

Benefits to Westbourne Academy

In the 2014 Statutory Guidelines for Careers Education, the Department for Education stated, “alumni can provide students with a role model they can relate to – helping to change their perceptions of what they are capable of achieving” and named Future First as an organisation leading the Inspirational Careers Guidance agenda.

Over 10 million people former state school students have said they’d be willing to go back to their old school or college; they just need to be asked!

75% of young people say hearing from former students makes them want to work harder.

Alumni can volunteer to support their old school or college in a number of ways. These include: acting as mentors; talking about what they’ve been up to since leaving (i.e. in lessons or assemblies); fundraising; applying to become a governor; volunteering or offering work experience placements.

How can you get involved?

We have access to a dashboard which lists all the former students who have signed up so far, and shows what they’re doing now and in what ways they would like to help out.

We would love to grow the network even more, so if you have any friends, relatives, neighbours or work colleagues please encourage them to sign up to our alumni network. They can do this using the online link below: